Flying-machine



M. LECUYER.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27.1917.

Patented Feb. 24, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

- mvfwow. Y Maurice Lecuyelz M. L CUYER. FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IULY 27, ISH.

1,332,129, Patented Feb. 24,1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

i N VE TOI? Mauri ceLezLye/f By- Mgg,

M. LECUYER.

FLYING MACHINE.'

APPLiCATlON FILED lULY 27.1917.

EETS-SHEET 3.

1,332,129. Patented Feb. 24,1920.

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fige? M. LCUYER.

FLYING MACHINE.

` APPLICATION FILED llILY 27,1917. 1,332,129. Patented Feb.`24,1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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/NVENTOH Maa/wee Lec/:gew

ATTORNE Y' MAURICE LCUYER, OF VILLERS-COLTERETS, FRANCE.

FLYING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent Application led July 27, 1917. Serial No. 183,075.

To all whom t may concern.L

Be it known that I, MAURICE LCUYER, a citizen of the Republic lof France, residing at Villers-Cotterets, Aisne Department, Place du March, in the Republic of France, machinist, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flying-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to flying machines of the kind in which a supporting surface carries suitable apparatus for drawing in and discharging air, and means for directing the currents of air produced by the said apparatus downward, upward, or rearward for the purpose of causing the ascent, descent, or propulsion of the flying machine as required.

According to the invention the apparatus for drawing in and discharging air consists of fans with vanes or blades, the axes of rotation of which are arranged horizontally along one or more pairs of longitudinal lines, half of the fans revolving in one di-' rection andthe other half in the opposite direction.

The suction of each fan is effected through louvers placed above the supporting surface. The suction, particularly for fans placed in front of the machine, takes place through a nozzle placed in front of their center, the said nozzle having an upper aperture 'and a forward aperture and being provided with a shutter which allows of obstructing these apertures alternately according to whether the entering current of air is to 'be-directed rearward or downward.

On theother hand, the discharge of each fan is effected in a longitudinal passage which is common to the series of fans placed along the same line, the' said passage being closed infront, open at the back and provided with apertures directed downward and with a series of lateral curved nozzles which open rearward, and the mouths of the said passage and of the said nozzlesv being provided with valves allowing of partially or completely closing them.

The casing of each fan has, moreover,at its lower part a downwardly directed open! ing through which a portion of the air discharged by the varies can escape in order to cause the lifting or elevation of the machine.

Owing to the relatively large numberV of air inlet and outlet openings above and below as well as at the'rear, andtothe independence of their means of regulation it is possible, in all circumstances, to insure the stability and precise direction of the ilying machine thus constructed.

.The invention also comprises various de'- tails which will be hereinafter described.

The accompanying drawing shows, by way of example, a form of construction of flying machine according to the invention.

Figure l is a side elevation, the front part being seen in vertical section on the line A-A, Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the machine. i

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same part being seen in vertical section on the line B-B, Fig. 2. Y

Patented Feb. 24, 1920. p

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section, drawn to a f larger scale, of a portion of one of the lateral air-discharge conduits. Y

Fig. 5 illustrates an arrangement for the automatic regulation of altitude, and

Fig. 6 is adiagrammatic view of the connections of this arrangement. p

1 indicates a rectangular supporting surface formed, for example, of an impermeable fabric stretched over a rigid frame (not shown). Upon this surface are carried, for example, `12 compressor-fans arranged in two longitudinal rows, each fan comprising a vane wheel 2 and a casing 3. The latter is provided with lateral conical cheeks 3a and a peripheral sheath 3b of spiral shape. The cheeks V have central openings or louvers 3 placed above the surface l and the sheath 3" has its narrow end adjacent to this surface, while its wider end opens into the top Vofa passage 4; which extends along the longitudinal edge of the surface l.

Each passage 4 is closed in front at 4 and open at the back at 4b. Its bottom is provided with openings 4 and its outer side is provided with lateral nozzles 5 which are curved and open toward the rear at 5"'. `The in fron-t. These openings can be alternately closed by a valve 8 rocking upon a spindle 8a.

On the other hand the .openingsfia 4, 5W,

are provided with valves 9, 10, 1'1' respectively, which rock upon spindles 92109,' 11a and which allow of regulating the outletof.

the air through these openings.

' Beneath the surface 1 is suspended by means of rods 12, a platform .18 supporting cabins 14: ior the pilots and the passengers, and'coinbustion engines 15. These latter actuatethe vane wheels 2- by means of chains (not shown) passing through tubes 1G and around toothed wheels 2 and 15, in such a manner that-the wheels 2 -revolve in opposite directions.

the two valves of each pair are connected by means of a transverse rod 22 vand crank handles 23 so that it is only necessary to connect one of these two halves to the rod' 21 by a crank handle 21 in order to move th'emfbotli.

to ether.

e toothed wheels 2a are mounted after the manner of the free wheels of bicycles in order that the wheels 2 shall be moved only in the proper direction.

Rings v26, 27 fixed respectivelyto the wheels 2 and to the cheeks a are arranged in such a manner as to oppose the return of the compressed air from the sheaths 3 toward the louvers 3C.

The platform 13 is mounted upon two pairs of wheels 28, 29, they front pair 2S of which can rock to the right and left as in a motor car.

The opera-tion is as follows By reason of the rotation of the vane wheels 2, the outer air is diz wn through the louvers 3c land forced partly through the lower apertures 6 and partly'through the sheaths 3b and the passages Il, whence it es capes through the openings 11h, 11 and 5. A rarefaction above the surface 1 and a compression below consequently take place whence results the ascensional force which causes the machine to rise.- Moreover, the air whichl escapes rearwardly causes a forward propulsive re-action.y The ope-ration of the valve 8 allows of producing the suction in front of the machine either downwardly to increase the ascensional force or rearwardly to increase the propulsive force. On the other hand the operation of the different valves 9, 10,11 allows of varying the quantity oi airv delivered .downward and rearward, vand consequently also of regulating. the., ascensional and propulsive forces. The' propulsive force can, if required, be completely dispensedwith; the machine then rises vertically.

The passages Je, which have a ,'i'elatively large area, serve to equalize the' pressure of the dischargedair and to compensa-te, to a certain extent, for the differences of eiiiciency of the various compressor-fans.

The efficiency of the machine is, besides, increased bythe addition to the discharged: air of the exhaust gases from the engines and by the` expansionl produced vunder the influence of the heat of' the saidv gases.

The wire gauze cages 1.8 prevent any risk of fire by the said gases. w

The direction of the machine can be effectedk either by means ofthe rudder' 20 or by means of the valves 9 Aand`11', which allow of producing a propulsive force less ou oneside than on the other, or by both these means together.`

The -mountingof the pinioi-is2.A upon the 'wheels2 allou'is the latter tocontinue'to turn when `their respective engines have stopped. This arrangement avoids the stoppage ot one engine preventing the rotation of all the fans.

The arrangement represented 'in Fig. 5 y

allows the' apparatus to remain stationary in the air abovea given point over which the anchor has been cast. To this end the anchor cord 31 is attached by its upperend` to a lever V32 movable around a vpivot Y33 and kept -iaised by a spring 3.4i, the tension of which is regulated soV as Jto-.exceed the weight ofthe cord and anchor. At the end 35foi theV lever 32' abutting when at rest against a bracket 3G is connected the' cord` 19 whichvcontrolsl thewasc'ension valves 10. The anchor having gripped, the valves 10 close-whenf` the lever lowered by rea son of the ten-sion exerted'upon it when the apparatus tends to further rise and to open when the apparatus descends beyond `the desired point.l Itthe action of the valves is insufiioient and it' the vapparatus still rises, notwithstanding their complete closure, the end et the` lever 32-still lowering, acts upona handle 88 adapted tol regulate rthe speed of the engines and reduces the:

latter' to the necessary degree.

;By replacing the anchor by a simple guide rope,` the .weight .ot which' isfsuiiicientlto overcome the tension ofk the'V counteracting spi'ing'tof thelever` 32, an arrangement is. obtained. which allows of navigating at a height automatically constant. and. eouialA to the length ofcordfwhi'ch'will equilibrate the spring. 34.; Q

The? arrangement repi'esented=.iir Fig.. 5 also allows the machineto. remain automatif.

cally. at any altitude; either stationary .or in i ao progress, and that without the aid of anchor or guide rope. The regulation is obtainedl by means of an aneroidV barometer 39, the hand 40 of which is connected to one of the poles of a battery 41 and rocks between two contact screws 42 which are connected to the other pole of. the battery 41 by conductors 43. Inthese conductors are interposed two relay electro-,magnets 44 acting in opposite directions upon an armature 45 which rocks upon a shaft 46; to this armature is fixed an insulating arm 47 carrying two metal strips 48 which are connected by springs 49 and conductors 50 to the brushes 51 of an electric motor 52; each of these strips 48 oscillates between two screws 53 and 54 respectively connected to the two poles of a battery of accumulators 55.

The motor 52 actuates, through the medium of reducing gear 56, a chain pinion 57 around which passes an endless chain 58 which also passes around a secondary pinion 59. A link of this chain is attached to the lever 32.

The contact screws 42 are mounted upon a ring 60, the position of which is regulated so that when the machine is. at the desired altitude the hand 40 does not touch either of the screws.

If the machine begins to rise the hand 40 touches, for example, the right hand screw 42 and closes the circuit of the corresponding electro-magnet 44, which causes the commutator arrangement 45, 47, 48 to rock in the direction of the arrow X; the current of the battery then circulates in the motor in a corresponding direction. The chain 58 is thus actuated in the direction of the lowering of the leverl32 whence results the closing of the valves 10 and, consequently, the return of the machine to the desired altitude.

On `the other hand, if the machine descends below this altitudev the hand 40 will close the left hand circuit 43 so that the commutator will be actuated in the opposite direction to the arrow X, which will reverse the current of the battery through the motor. Consequently, the lever 32 will rise, the valves 10 will open and the machine will rise to the desired altitude.

It is to be understood that the constructive arrangements described and represented are only given by way of example and-can be replaced by any equivalent arrangements for the proposed purpose without the essential characteristics of the invention being altered.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of mysaid invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is:

l. A flying machine comprising in .combination a supporting surface, several compressor-fans, the suction louvers of which tending from the said passages and opening toward the rear, the casing of the said fans opening into the said passages and each having a downwardly directed discharge aperture beneath the said supporting surface, and means for regulating the outlet of the air through the said nozzles.

2. A flying machine comprising in combination a supporting surface, several compresso-r-fans, the suction louvers of which are placed above the said surface, the said fans being arranged in longitudinal rows, a transverse nozzle placed at the front of the supporting surface, into which open the suction louvers of the forward fans, the said nozzle having apertures in its top and in its front, and means for alternately closing the said apertures.

A flying machine comprising in combination a supporting surface, compressorfans upon the said surface, longitudinal passages on the said surface fed by the said fans and having downwardly and rearwardly discharging apertures, a platform suspended from the supporting surface, combustion engines upon the said platform, and pipes for conducting the exhaust gases from the said engines into the said longitudinal passages.

4. :A flying machine comprising in combination a supporting surface, longitudinal shafts upon the said surface, several compressor-fans upon each of the said shafts, longitudinal passages upon the said surface fed by the said fans and having downwardly and rearwardly discharging apertures, a platform suspended from the supporting surface, engines upon the said platform and transmission means between the engines and the fan-shafts, the said transmission means comprising free wheels whereby the stoppage of one of the engines Y is prevented from affecting the other engines connected to the same shaft. Y

5. A flying machine comprising a supporting surface, means for drawing in air above the said surface and discharging it downward, valves adapted to regulate the outlet for the downwardly forced air, a lever for controlling the said valves, a cord suspended from the said lever in such a manner that its traction causes the said lever to rock in the direction of the closure of the said valves and a spring acting upon the said Vlever in the reverse direction to the traction of the said cord.

6. A flying machine comprising a supporting surface, means for drawing in air above ward, valves adapted to regulate the outlet of the downwardly vdischarged, air, af lever oncontrolling theI said valves, a. reversible-v actfion electric motor radapted to move the said lever, a battery, a commutator arrangement adapted to reverse. the current of the `'loattery through the motor, enA aneroid ba'rometer and' mea-ns for controlling the said. oommutator arrangement actuated' by the saidv `barometer under the. influence of the variations of altitude,' substantially as de- 10 scribed andl for the purpose--` proposed- In, testimony, that I claim 'the foregoing as my invention I have signedg my Hamelin presence of vtwo subscribing Witnesses.

VMAURICE i LCUYER: Witnessesf J CHAR-LES BAUDRY, CEAS. P; PmqssLY. 

